How Windows NT Determines a User's Home Directory

 Last reviewed: May 7, 1997
Article ID: Q101507
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

The system administrator specifies a home directory in the User Manager, in the user profile properties. Windows NT sets the following three environment variables based on the value of the home directory: 

   HOMEDRIVE
   HOMEPATH
   HOMESHARE
For example, these three environment variables could contain the following: 

   HOMEDRIVE=<drive letter>:
   HOMEPATH=\<path>
   HOMESHARE=\\<server name>\<share name>

      NOTE: HOMESHARE could contain a local drive instead of a server
      and share.
If no home directory is specified, Windows NT uses the following values by default: 

   HOMEDRIVE=<drive where Windows NT is installed>
   HOMEPATH=\users\default
   HOMESHARE=

   NOTE: If the \USERS\DEFAULT directory does not exist on the drive that
   has Windows NT installed, HOMEPATH is set to the \USERS on that drive;
   if the \USERS directory does not exist, HOMEPATH is set to the drive
   that has Windows NT installed.
The default directory the Command Prompt displays is the equivalent of HOMEDRIVE plus HOMEPATH.

If a user has the home directory set to \\<server>\<share>\<path>, the Command Prompt does not display the specified directory if the server is not available for any reason. The only method to determine what failed when the Command Prompt does not display the specified directory involves checking the event logs and verifying that everything is installed properly.

Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : kbenv ntconfig
Version : 3.1
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: May 7, 1997
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